Senior Bowl 2012 Stats: Ranking the Game's Top Performers

The 2012 version of the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama was not an offensive explosion by any means, but it did do a great job of highlighting some potential stars come April's draft.

Defensively there were strong showings from the pass-rushers, and offensively the wide receivers outshone the rest of the skill positions.

Special teams even provided a charge or two with some long returns that may have moved an undrafted player into the top 200 on scouts charts.

Here are the top five performers of the 2012 Senior Bowl.

1. Quinton Coples

In a performance that was reminiscient of Von Miller in last year's Senior Bowl, North Carolina's Quinton Coples was nearly unblockable.

He constantly had quarterbacks on the run and was in the backfield throughout the game.

If scouts feel comfortable he will display the same kind of motor in the NFL, he may have helped his draft stock immensely.

2. Isaiah Pead

Isaiah Pead was the most electric player in multiple facets of the Senior Bowl this year. His return ability alone may have been enough to garner him a draft spot in April, averaging almost 50 yards per return.

Additionally, Pead showed great speed and explosiveness out of the backfield at running back, making him even more valuable as an NFL prospect.

He is admittedly small, but could be a Darren Sporles-type player for whatever team drafts him. 

3. Joe Adams

A lot of players might have folded after an early fumble in a game that has so much bearing on their future, but Joe Adams went the opposite direction after his strip/fumble.

Adams was nearly impossible to tackle and racked up incredible numbers in the yards after catch department.

Having the guts to come back and have such an impact can speak volumes to coaches and scouts, and Adams was able to do just that.

4. Nick Foles

Nick Foles might have had the most impressive stat line of the quarterbacks, as he led one of the longer touchdown drives in the game primarily through the air.

The one knock on his drive was that it was mainly a pitch-and-catch between him and his former Arizona teammate Juron Criner, but if Foles makes it to the NFL it is clear he can be effective in a familiar setting.

A game that was rife with interceptions did not have one off the arm of Foles, and that deserves some attention considering the strong pass rush from both sides.

5. Courtney Upshaw

The former Alabam standout would have been the talk of the game defensively were it not for the dominance of Coples on the opposite sideline.

Courtney Upsahw was versatile and provided a strong pass rush from multiple points on the defensive front, keeping quarterbacks like Brandon Weeden and Nick Foles on the run and supremely uncomfortable.